Gift Focus - Nov/Dec 2019 (Issue 116)

10 PETIT COLLAGE RACKS UP NINE WINS IN 2019 AWARDS SEASON Eco-friendly children’s toy and gift brand Petit Collage has racked up an impressive nine wins across several prestigious trade and consumer awarding bodies in 2019, including its most recent success in the MadeforMums Toy Awards. The Alphabet Wooden Tray Puzzle won gold in the Best Sustainable/Eco Toy category. Made with FSC beech wood and non-toxic inks, it stimulates the development of fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, letter and shape recognition and dexterity in four languages. The Shine Bright Magnetic Dress Up Sets won gold in the Junior Design Awards in the Best Creative Play category, while the company was also presented with a Recommended Seal from the Parent’s Choice Awards. Most recently the company was awarded a Bronze in the MadeforMums Toy Awards in Best Toy For Role Play category. Petit Collage is said to be inspired by incredible women role models including Mae Jemison, Frida Kahlo and Jane Goodall. Made from FSC beech wood and printed with non- toxic inks, the Little Lion Chunky Wooden Puzzle was Commended in the Baby category in Toy Shop UK’s Independent Toy Awards. For more information about Petit Collage visit the website wildandwolf.co.uk PARKINGPERX GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH FOLLOWING DRAGON’S DEN SUCCESS Following a roaring success on Dragon’s Den and an £80,000 investment from Jenny Campbell, ParkingPerx has gone from strength to strength. Founder Chris Reed has pushed for more investment, further high-quality partnerships, created new jobs, and received substantial international interest. On top of Jenny Campbell’s investment, the start-up has received £250k from Mercia Technologies. This has given ProxiSmart, the umbrella company for ParkingPerx, impressive momentum and will facilitate the creation of six new jobs over the next four months. In addition to major investments, ParkingPerx has announced enviable A-list partnerships. Household names including Adidas, ASDA, B&Q, Costa, H&M, ODEON, Tesco, Waterstones, and Pizza Hut will all be partnering with the innovative free parking app. These big names will give ParkingPerx an anchor in every high-street throughout the country, and are sure to draw in publicity and customers. ParkingPerx has also partnered up with RingGO — the cashless parking solution provider. Chris Reed isn’t stopping there – there are big plans for the future of ParkingPerx. The recently announced sister app, TravelPerx, is set to reward commuters with free public transport in 2020. Similar to ParkingPerx, this app will team up with some big brands to reward shoppers with travel discounts and public transport perks. Addressing this exciting news, Chris Reed said: “The solution aims to uplift the local economy whilst incentivising greener travel choices to reduce congestion in our cities.” Watch this space and expect to see ParkingPerx rolled out in a number of key locations after Christmas. After it has been trialled in the UK, ProxiSmart will then tackle the international market. Interest in the app has already been shown in Spain, Belgium, Brazil, Australia, South Africa, UAE, Ireland, and the USA. This Dragon’s Den success story is set to change the nature of parking, shopping, and public transport in highstreets around the world. Watch out for the app rolling out in your hometown during 2020.